Delmont committee seeks input to help develop Westmoreland Heritage Trail connection

The Delmont Visionary Committee will undertake a study to determine how best to bring a spur from the Westmoreland Heritage Trail into the borough.

The committee received a $20,000 grant from the state Department of Natural Resources that will evaluate two routes for a borough trail to connect with the Heritage Trail, which passes just north of Delmont, with trail access at Athena Drive.

After forming a steering committee that includes local and county government officials and residents, the next step is to collect input through an online survey now open to residents and trail users.

“We want to get input and continue with the feasibility study,” said committee member Annamarie Stackiewicz. “We want to know how people use the trail now, and how they get to it.”

The survey asks where people are coming from to use the trail, what they typically come to Delmont to do, what sort of outdoor activities they regularly take part in, and whether they walk, bike or drive to reach the trail.

It asks participants to rank features they would want to see on a Delmont trail, ranging from benches and rest areas to public art and drinking fountains.

It also asks them to rank their priorities for the trail in terms of function — should it provide the most direct route to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, for example; should it connect neighborhoods to the trail; should it promote economic opportunities within the borough?

All of that feedback will help the committee work with its chosen engineering firm, Thomas Harley Architects of Indiana.

“Once we get a bit closer to which option we think will work best, we’ll present that to the public and host public meetings to keep people up to date,” Stackiewicz said.

The committee has held several fundraisers in recent years to pay for the feasibility study, raising $20,000 in matching grant money.

No local tax dollars are being used to fund the study or survey.

Survey responses will be collected through April 12. The survey may be accessed through the borough’s website, Delmontboro.com, or directly at Surveymonkey.com/r/VVKR3BF.